For now-16-year-old Jake King, his birthday Thursday was full of surprises.

It started early, during a drive through town with his mother, Angela Connell, who pointed out the sign at the Hastings Inn that read, “Happy Birthday Jake King.”

Then later, at his home, he received an unexpected gift he’ll never forget. Connell did her best to keep it a surprise, and when Jake opened the garage he found a white Pontiac G6 with ribbons and a picture of his father Mike King on the hood.

After his family shouted “surprise” and hugs were given, Jake and his mother had a special embrace alongside the car — although it’s new for him, he’s very familiar with the car as it used to be his father’s.

“It’s great, [it’ll] bring back my dad a lot,” Jake said about what the car means to him.

Mike passed away in February, his family said he had a neurological form of sleep apnea and that it eventually led to his death. They say Jake found his dad when he was unresponsive.

“It was this big, huge traumatic experience. But you know, I’m just trying to make something bittersweet a little sweeter,” Connell said.

She reached out to the family friend who bought the car from Mike a year ago and asked if they’d sell it back for Jake’s 16^th birthday — a request Connell said was gladly accepted.

“He can look back on his 16th birthday and say, ‘It wasn’t my first birthday without my dad, [it was] the birthday that I got his car,’ you know?” Connell said while tearing up.

While he still needs to get his license, Jake already knows the first tune-up — he plans to look into getting new speakers as he holds listening to music with his dad close to his heart. He already had an idea of who he’ll play first.

“T.I. or Alice in Chains [because] that was like his two favorite artists [I] feel like that would be a sentimental moment,” Jake said.